A major fire broke out at the Shastri Nagar slum colony adjoining platforms 1 and 2 of the Bandra railway station on Saturday night, disrupting train services on the Western Railway line. The fire brigade had rushed eight fire tenders to control the blaze that began at 8.15 pm. Though major disaster was averted and there was no casualty reported, it is an indicator of how these slum colonies, most of them with a majority of illegal hutments, are tinderboxes waiting to explode.

Slum colonies are adjacent to so many railway stations in the city. Congested and crowded beyond measure, they are also made of highly inflammable material at times. Because most of the hutments are packed so tightly together, in case of fires, it is very difficult for people to exit quickly. Consequently, it is also very tough for fire fighting personnel to access as the congested conditions make it difficult to get in, and precious minutes are lost while personnel are trying to douse the blaze.